At least 500 wheelchairs, reportedly purchased by the District Election Officer (DEO) Jammu for use during the recently concluded assembly elections, are now sitting unused and gathering dust at MAM College, Jammu. The unplanned purchase, made at a substantial public expense, has sparked anger and frustration among college students and faculty who are grappling with its impact on their campus.
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The wheelchairs, meant to support election accessibility needs, have instead become a liability for MAM College, where they are occupying significant space. “These chairs are taking over large areas meant for students,” remarked a student at the college. “We’re unable to move freely in certain parts of the campus. The college administration has repeatedly approached the Deputy Commissioner of Jammu, who also holds the DEO position, but no action has been taken to clear them.”
A senior faculty member of MAM College voiced deep concern over what he called an “inexcusable misuse of taxpayer money.” “These wheelchairs, collectively valued at over Rs 20 lakh, are idling in our campus grounds. I checked online, and each chair costs approximately Rs 4,500-5,000. To have 500 chairs sitting here unused is not just wasteful but a glaring example of poor planning and oversight.”
This lapse has brought renewed scrutiny to the spending habits of election authorities. The DEO’s purchase, initially justified by accessibility needs, has instead left a significant taxpayer-funded resource sitting idle. With little use for the chairs post-election, they risk deteriorating in condition, squandering valuable public resources.
The faculty member urged immediate action to prevent further waste. “These chairs should be promptly transferred to the Social Welfare Department so they can serve a constructive purpose and assist specially-abled people across the region,” he added. “Letting these chairs rust is simply unacceptable.”
Attempts to reach the DEO Jammu Sachin Kumar Vaishya for comment on this situation yielded no immediate response.
The situation at MAM College highlights a stark need for accountability and better planning in government procurement. As the neglected wheelchairs continue to impede daily activities on campus, students, staff, and taxpayers alike are left wondering why more care wasn’t taken to ensure that public funds would be spent efficiently.
